ASHLAND, VA—Randolph-Macon Baseball rallied for eight runs in the fourth inning to defeat Hampden-Sydney 18-6 in the final game played on Hugh Stevens Field Saturday. The Tigers took game one of the doubleheader 14-6.

Prior the start of the doubleheader, Randolph-Macon honored seven decades of Yellow Jackets baseball.  Over 80 alumni returned to Ashland to celebrate the final games at the field named after legendary coach Hugh Stephens.  

The group of former student-athletes have helped the Yellow Jackets win over 700 games, three ODAC Championships and six Mason Dixon Conference Championships.  

The highlight of the afternoon came when Stephens' wife Kathryn and members of their family joined the group of alumni, current head coach Ray Hedrick and former skipper Greg Waters  for and photo and Hugh Jr. threw out the ceremonial first-pitch.

Hugh F. Stephens' association with Randolph-Macon College began in 1937. Coming to R-MC from Staunton, Virginia, Stephens was a two sport athlete who contributed in basketball (two seasons) and excelled in baseball (four seasons). During Stephens' freshman year, the Yellow Jacket baseball team produced one of the program's best records, winning 16 of 20 contests. Stephens' pitching played a key role in that success.

Over the next three seasons, Stephens not only displayed a prominent pitching arm but a high percentage at bat as well. As a junior, Stephens led his team with a .383 batting average. As a reward for his leadership on and off the field, Stephens was named team captain during his junior and senior seasons.

Hugh Stephens' first coaching position came while he was still an undergraduate. In 1940, Stephens was selected to be a co-coach of the school's freshman basketball team. Stephens took his leadership skills to greater heights in 1949 when he was named R-MC's basketball coach and athletic director. In 1950, his coaching role switched from basketball to baseball.

Over the following 32 years, Stephens achieved legendary status both as a coach and an administrator. In baseball, he amassed 449 victories while suffering only 202 defeats. During that span, the Yellow Jackets suffered just one losing season while capturing six Mason-Dixon Conference titles, (11 Southern Division championships), ten Virginia Small College championships and one Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship. His success was honored through his induction to the Virginia Sports Wall of Fame (1988), Virginia Hall of Fame (1994), and the Randolph-Macon Hall of Fame (1996).

At the 1990 Commencement Exercises, Hugh was given an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his "unwavering devotion to Randolph-Macon, to its students, and to the athletic program." A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Hugh was active in his church and in the Ashland Kiwanis Club. 

As for the games, R-MC's Hannum broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second in game two with a run scoring double to right center. Ryan Hughes (Crozet, VA/ Western Albemarle) plated Adam Carpenter (Richmond, VA/ Mills Godwin) with a sacrifice fly and Brian Jordan (Columbia, VA/ Goochland) extended the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single.

The Yellow Jackets sent 14 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring eight runs on seven hits, three walks and a Tigers' error. Hughes sparked the inning with a three run homerun to right. Randolph-Macon then loaded the bases for Jay Lichter (Richmond, VA/ Varina) who came through with a two run single up the middle. RBI singles from Carpenter and Hannum set up Bierlein who capped the inning with a double to center which plated Carpenter and put R-MC up 11-0.

Williams put Hampden-Sydney on the board with a solo homerun in the top of the fifth but Randolph-Macon responded with a two run homerun from Walton and Carpenter solo shot to extend their lead to 14-1.

The Tigers rallied for four runs in the sixth, two coming on a double from Denton.

R-MC answered back with four runs in the bottom half to go back on top by 13 at 18-5. H-SC tacked on a run in the ninth with a solo homerun from Nick Caporale but senior pitcher Haile Lytton (Mechanicsville, VA/ Hanover) settled in and R-MC took an 18-6 victory in the last game played on Hugh Stephens Field.

Kyle Hicks (Goochland, VA/ Goochland) picked up his sixth win of the season for the Jackets, giving up just three earned runs and striking out six in six innings on the mound. Byron Mendenhall (Falls Church, VA/ George Mason) pitched two hitless innings of relief.

Lichter went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a walk. Seniors Carpenter and Hannum both finished 3-for-5; Carpenter had a homerun and three RBI, Hannum hit a double and drove in two runs.

Ryan Daniel is stuck with the loss for the Tigers after allowing seven earned runs in three innings of work. Williams led H-SC offensively with a homerun and an RBI. 

As for game one, Jordan Walton (Mechanicsville, VA/ Lee Davis) singled home a run in the bottom of the first in game one to give R-MC an early 1-0 lead.

Laine Denton knotted the score with a run scoring double in the top of the second for H-SC before Yellow Jacket senior Bryan Hannum (Richmond, VA/ James River) belted a solo homerun in the bottom of the second to put Randolph-Macon on top 2-1.

Hampden-Sydney pushed across two runs in the top of the third, highlighted by a solo homerun off the bat of Chris Martin to go ahead 3-2.

Walton tied the game at 3-3 with a solo shot of his own in the bottom half before James Bierlein (Chesterfield, VA/ Matoaca) singled up the middle to score two runs, putting R-MC up 5-3.

The Tigers rallied for eight runs in the fifth, three coming on a Herbie Williams homerun to pull away from the Yellow Jackets and win by a final of 14-6.

Michael Helbig (Midlothian, VA/ Midlothian) falls to 3-2 on the season after allowing seven earned runs in four and two thirds innings on the mound. Walton finished 2-for-4 with three RBI to pace Randolph-Macon at the plate.

Johnny West gave up five earned runs in five and a third innings of work to pick up the win for Hampden-Sydney. Martin went 2-for-3 with a homerun and two RBI to lead the Tigers at the plate.

-Yellow Jackets-